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Monthly Archives: January 2017

We say Yes to following God. That is the total desire of our heart. We want to worship Him with our whole being. What gets in the way? What fear jumps in the road and blocks our total abandonment?

Reading scriptures over and over. Is that the trick? Receiving all stars for knowing the memory verses we studied in Sunday School should count for something —Right? Going to Church Services every Sunday. Why doesn’t that make fears big and small flee?

I prayed while sitting in between my son and daughter while riding to the MSP airport. We were on our way to visit our relatives in Orlando this last December. Before we turned into the lanes where friends were to drop us off, my heart started racing:

Would I be able to walk through the upcoming challenge knowing exactly what I am to do?

Where is my passport?

If I am asked a question, will my mind go completely blank and I just stand there?

Will I be able to walk straight over the metal detector or will the beeper go off letting everyone know someone (me) is holding up the long line?

Don’t beat yourself over the head when experiencing fear of any kind. Instead, ask why is the emotion coming over you? Is a message, big or little, being shared through this circumstance? .

Throughout the scriptures, God declares and reveals His authority. Events began in tremendous fear, but it was in walking through His lead where peace flowed.

Joshua knew it was his responsibility to lead the Israelites. Moses died. Joshua had become the new leader. Joshua was fearful. Joshua questioned would these people give him the same trust as they gave to Moses? Many reasons for a panic attack.

The relationship God and Joshua already had caused this man to go to God and seek guidance. Here are the words of encouragement Joshua received:

Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.”

Joshua 1:8 MSG.

The beauty of Joshua’s Yes was exposed in his fear. He cried out to God. God gave Joshua exactly the words he needed. The encouragement called out the courage God put inside Joshua allowing him to do the YES.

In the empty slots not covered in scriptures when Joshua walked by himself, did fear try to grip his thoughts? Possibly, but Joshua was true in keeping his eyes and heart set to the direction pointed toward God. Knowing God surrounded him, Joshua was able to lay the fear where it needed to go and receive strength.

God gives strong words to Joshua ( Don’t be timid) and to Isaiah ( So Fear Not) in real times of real need. God promises ” God is with you every step” , and “I will strengthen you and help you.” These are not just words of a command to do something. It is through the relationship of love already flowing between God and these men where this truth is shared and received.

In hands of a loving God, fear can be a tool showing me something, or exposing something. In the airport, I was completely surrounded in myself. I got antsy. I got nervous about my passport. I made the beeper go off and needed to be checked. (I was wearing a metal belt. Not the smartest thing.) I was anxious and fearful of looking stupid.

It is a small fear, but still a tool to which God graciously used.

Fear can stop me from being the person God created me to be. It can loom large, but is it really more than silly threads I can cut with the Sword of the Spirit?

In this fear, my head had no room to hear God’s still quiet voice telling me “I love you My precious Daughter, do not be afraid”. I was protecting myself in my fear where I would usually be open to hear His voice to see if anyone might be in need of prayer because of their anxiety.

The beauty of sayingYES to our Father doesn’t matter whether the situation is as grand as leading the Israelites to the Promise Land or going through all the airport ins and outs. God is taking the hand of the one who is listening. It is an adventure to the one He is guiding, to the one obeying.

It is far more than repeating verses. It is having a conversation with the One who loves me and the One I love. It is recognizing my weakness and my need. I empty myself and receive His strength.

As you release fears to the One who created the Universe, look to see if God is teaching you something in and through the process. Be free to worship as you were created.

Here I am returning from a fantastic vacation with my family. Christmas in sunny warm Orlando, Florida, was a sharp contrast to the normal cold snowy ones in Duluth, Minnesota.

The weather was green and balmy outside any where from 50-80 degrees. ♥

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While inside, the decorations were warm and cozy.

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Even though we took time off from our regular daily schedules so far from home, it is wonderful to know there is One who NEVER takes a vacation.

He won’t let you stumble,

your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.

Not on your life! Israel’s

Guardian will never doze or sleep.

Ps.121 4-5 MSG

When God has a plan for His loved ones, He will carry it out, you can rest assure of that. How he chooses to do it is completely up to Him. Why?

He is God.

Bringing the Savior of all mankind into the world by birthing Him in an animal stall is not exactly what most people would call a good social promotion move. ( What was He thinking? His own Son born in a barn???)

To be totally honest, aren’t we a little two faced sometimes? We have a problem and finally decide to say a quick prayer. A precarious predicament comes about and we don’t know what to do. We then actually ask God what He wants. We receive the answer to the prayer and our response is : “ AWWW NO” or we look at what He expects us to do and our reaction is: “You have got to be kidding”!

Tenderly the gift is still extended. The loving hand never recoils.

“God has never failed. He’s never not delivered. He has an amazing track record that is completely trustworthy. Skylar Turek Message Duluth Vineyard 12/31/16

In Orlando, we each had a wonderful but challenging opportunity. Before Christmas Day, we were to write on a piece of paper, a gift we wanted to give Baby Jesus.

What would you write on that sheet of paper?

On Christmas Day shared our gifts.

This was mine…

“We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives. 2 Cor. 13:9

My limitations keep me from rejoicing and running at times in the freedom I have in You. I see age, causing memory dips, hearing rips, physical blips, not allowing me to boldly run the race as I once did. To be honest, it makes me sad.

As I read 2 Cor. 13, V 9, I offer a strange gift to You. I offer my Fear. It is not a pretty gift. It is not a majestic gift. In some respects, I see it is similar to a piece of coal which you definitely do not deserve.

A piece of coal is worked with until it finally becomes a beautiful gem. With this gift of fear, I see the same process happen. Work with my fear and through my fears so all the worship and creativity You are so worthy of, is free to express itself.”

Tears came flowing because I knew my weakness was not a pretty gift.

It was also not one He rejects.

Each time I hear, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Cor 12: 9-10) New Living Translation will I be able to boast? To be honest, probably not all the time. I still see through a dirty lens at times. God does not recoil His Hand. His gift is still extended.

In beginning this new year I will ask you a few questions:

What would you have written on the sheet of paper as your gift to Jesus?

Have you ever answered God with a “You Have Got to Be Kidding!” to His response when you pray?

If you wish to share one of your own “God amazing love stories regarding His unfailing track record”, I would love to hear it.

Creativity and Worship are expressed in life through bounteous forms. We have a Magnificent God lovingly drawing out what He put inside.

What stops us from living the wonderful, creative worship filled life available to us?
This next year through creative stories, personal adventures, your input, we will go on a journey to open doors. We will discover ways to say yes and what barriers keep us from seeing God’s extended hand. This will release not only life in us but to share what we receive with the world.